When To Announce Your Pregnancy

We were absolutely delighted to hear the news that Jessica Ennis-Hill and her husband Andy are expecting their first baby this summer. The announcement got us thinking about when and how do non-celebs tell their family and friends that they are pregnant. It is easy for a celeb to inform the world they are pregnant, they just tell the press. They probably also need to make the statement relatively early in pregnancy before the bump shows and speculation starts in the media. But they will have done what we all do and told their nearest and dearest first. Luckily for the rest of us we are not in the public gaze. Although we might post our news on social media, word-of-mouth is probably still the most common way of announcing pregnancies to those closest to us. In many families, once you have told your mother, the family jungle-drums start sending out the news as effectively as any press release. It can be more difficult to announce it at work as you may be worried how your pregnancy affects your job. The timing of your announcement will depend on your own experiences. You might be so excited that you just can’t keep it to yourself and tell everyone when you are about 6 weeks pregnant. Bad morning sickness might also force your hand into an early announcement. However, if you have experience of miscarriage, you may wait until the end of the first trimester (10 – 12 weeks) before going public. Whatever your approach, the bump will start showing at some point and then you will have to break the news. Once the baby is born you will want to shout it out to the world! The new grandparents will be equally proud and excited and will most likely start sending out the information in their favourite way – most likely phone calls or social media. Your friends will also want to know and although sending the news electronically is the quickest way, it is worth sending out cards. Hard copy is difficult to ignore and is a structured way of announcing name, date of birth and birth weight. Many people display cards on a mantelpiece or noticeboard, thereby reinforcing the name and birthday for future reference. After you have announced the baby’s birth, you will be amazed at how generous friends and family will be with presents for the baby. You will no doubt want to thanks all the well-wishers and etiquette still dictates that the best way to do this is by sending a Thank You card. Sending a card shows that you have spent time by writing something individual and not just sending a general thanks on e-mail or social media. Congratulations if you have just found out you are expecting a baby and enjoy the next few months.